Tag Archives: Pregnancy
Researchers Link Down Syndrome Through More Accurate Blood Tests
According to MSNBC, researchers in Europe have been able to find Down syndrome prenatally through a blood test to pregnant women, perhaps lessening the need for more extensive procedures used to detect the condition. A report published in the Journal Nature Medicine is the latest of studies that suggests Down syndrome diagnosis through fetal DNA that has been shed in the mother’s bloodstream. Other research groups in Cyprus, Greece and England conducted blind tests in which they were able to correctly identify 14 cases of Down syndrome through a blood test and 26 normal fetuses. Down syndrome results in cognitive delays and is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome . Currently, a pregnant woman must go through blood tests and ultrasound to find out if the fetus is at risk for Down syndrome. The condition is estimated at 1 in…
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Posted in Pregnancy Tagged blood test, chromosome, down syndrome, Pregnancy, research, study 1 Comment
Texas Couple Seeks New Law After Traumatic Home Birth
According to Texas Watch, when they found out about their pregnancy, Tina and Frank Comstive of Houston, Texas, decided on a home birth using a midwife. The Comstives found out about Tina’s pregnancy just shortly after the loss of Tina’s 58 year old mother to cancer, overshadowing the joy of their pregnancy. Many women today decide that hiring a midwife and having their babies at home is an ideal solution for whatever issues may be affecting them at the time, whether it be to save money over a hospital birth or, such as the Comstives’ case: a lack of maternity insurance. One night in May 2010, Tina woke to use the restroom. For most women, a late-night trip to the bathroom is nothing unusual, but the tables turned for Tina when she discovered blood. Her midwife arrived within half an hour afterwards. Tina’s midwife decided that it was safe for…
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Posted in Birth Trauma Tagged brain injury, home birth, home birth danger, maternity insurance, midwife, Pregnancy Comments Off on Texas Couple Seeks New Law After Traumatic Home Birth
Preterm Births May Be Caused By Placental Bacteria Colonizations
According to My Health Bowl, a study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital and at Harvard Medical School have found that there is a bacteria that colonizes the placenta in the womb, causing pre-term births in pregnant women. This bacteria is also noted to potentially cause developmental problems within the affected newborn babies. According to researchers, the bacteria colonizes following the onset of a fetal injury. It contributes to pre-term labor and may cause lifelong underlying health issues for the affected child. Depending upon the type of bacteria or organisms that form the colony in the placenta, the child may suffer from an increased or decreased risk of systemic inflammatory condition. Unfortunately, researchers have found that intrauterine infections are the most common cause of pre-term childbirth or other injuries to a growing baby. The bacteria colonies were discovered via cultures that were taken from the placentas that were…
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Posted in Premature Birth Tagged developmental problems, newborn babies, Placental Bacteria Colonizations, Pregnancy, pregnancy study, premature birth study, preterm birth Comments Off on Preterm Births May Be Caused By Placental Bacteria Colonizations
